Welcome to the latest version of this website, originally established in 1996...

although writing poetry since 1963, William F. DeVault did not achieve real notice until 1995, when he began a series of poetic projects distributed through the world wide web. When, in September of 1996, he created his first website and submitted it to various web indexes and search engines of the day, it was Yahoo, the #1 search index of the time, that labeled him the Romantic Poet of the Internet™. The sobriquet stuck.

Nearly twenty years, 16 books, 5 CDs, multiple nationwide and regional reading tours and a selection of awards and recognitions, the poet persists and even now works on his latest writings and to establish new beachheads in a world with few physical barriers and a great thirst for honest, earnest emotion and literature without corporate and media manipulation. His "Panther Cycles" were a web-wide addiction to his readers in the mid-90's, and since then his readership has swelled as he seemingly without relent pours out his heart and soul to the page.

"The Romantic Poet of the Internet" - Yahoo!

"The catalyst poet of the Digital Renaissance." - Mari Laureano, author, The Riverman Series

" One amazing poet, a retriever of memory and architect of visions, to the beauty of human and godly complexities." - Aberjhani, author, Encyclopedia of the Harlem Renaissance

William F. DeVault was founder and host of America Online's "Romantic and Erotic Poetry Group" and "Passionate Craft" chats has been listed by the Appalachian Education Initiative as one of 50 Outstanding Creative Artists from the State of West Virginia (where he lived from 1966-1979) and in 2002 was among the first American Poets named to the Edinburgh International Internet Festival of the Arts.

Born in Greenville, South Carolina, William F. DeVault has lead a rather nomadic existence so far. At first, due to his father's being in the US Air Force, later due to his own quest for new environments and inspirations.

Married (and divorced) twice, with three children from his first marriage (watch this space for updates on either count), William is largely known for his lush romantic work, full of mythological and religious allegory and metaphor, and for his use of "totem muses", where he grants a woman who inspires him a metaphorical identity, establishing a voice and image to the related works.